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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. field — farmland
  3. degree — temperature
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. ball — a dance
  8. field — a subject
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. ball — a great time
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rock — music
  16. field — for sport
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. degree — an amount
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. degree — from a university
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rock — a stone
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com